January 29, Tuesday Weekday

Blood may be thicker than water, but in today’s Gospel Jesus ups the ante. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He asks. And then He answers, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother,” giving hope to every believer.

But . . . it’s not always easy to do God’s will. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,” we pray, but putting that into practice is another matter. When my youngest was 4 years old, she would mix up those words, saying, “My kingdom come, my will be done.” I remember thinking how fitting it was because it’s so true. We may say “thy,” but in our hearts we often wish for “my.” Jesus, our Brother, believes we can overcome that tendency, and so we continue to hope in our own willingness to surrender.

Prayer: Help me to do Your will, Lord, even when my own way seems more inviting.